Jagatsinghpur Honours Its ‘Living Heritage’ at JHW Anniversary Celebration

Jagatsinghpur: Heritage in Jagatsinghpur is not confined to temples, manuscripts or stone sculptures—it lives on through people who quietly keep traditions, art and collective memory alive. Celebrating this spirit, the Jagatsinghpur Heritage Walks (JHW) marked its first anniversary by honouring individuals and groups who have dedicated their lives to preserving the district’s cultural, spiritual and social legacy.

Known as Odisha’s most literate district and the birthplace of Adikabi Sarala Das, Jagatsinghpur has long nurtured creativity across literature, theatre, folk traditions and devotion. The anniversary programme brought together these strands by recognising ‘living heritages’ whose work continues to shape community life and cultural awareness.

One of the most poignant recognitions was accorded to veteran theatre actor Sagarbala Patnaik (76), popularly known as Basanti Apa. A former artiste of the famed Annapurna Theatre Group of Cuttack, she acted in hundreds of plays during the 1960s and featured in Odia films such as Sesha Sravan, Mana Akash and Samay Bada Balaban. Despite age and illness, she continues to run a small tea stall to support herself and her accident-affected son, drawing admiration for her resilience and dignity.

Spiritual traditions rooted in Maa Sarala’s legacy were also foregrounded during the event. Mihir Nana and his team were felicitated for sustaining the rare Ghanta Patua dance tradition of Goddess Sarala and taking it beyond Odisha, including to foreign platforms. Their performance on the occasion filled the venue with devotional intensity.

Emphasising harmony and inclusiveness, JHW honoured Shyam Chacha, a devout follower of Lord Jagannath often referred to as the “present-day Salabega”. Odissi dancer Sheikh Sahil Mohammad, a passionate practitioner of classical dance, was also felicitated and performed Mangalacharan, earning warm applause from the audience.

The celebrations further recognised long-standing efforts to preserve folk arts and temple traditions. Shishir Kumar Panda of Kala Sanskruti Sangh, Tirtol, was honoured for over five decades of cultural engagement, while Hemant Kumar Raut was felicitated for keeping the folk dance Ghoda Nacha alive in changing times.

Priests Subash Panda and Babaji Panda were recognised for their leadership in preserving rituals at the Trilochaneswar Temple in Kundeswar village and the Ajaikapada Bhairava, Sapthatrika and Siddheshwar temples in Sathalpur. Similarly, priests Shiva Prasad Panda and Shankar Prasad Panda were honoured for conserving ancient sculptures at the Ishaneshwar Temple in Kostimallikapur village.

Community-led heritage conservation also found place in the honours list. The Sahu family of Lunahar village was recognised for building and maintaining a shrine for an ancient Nrusimha deity discovered in their pond, while the Sethi family of Bhatpada Nandol village was honoured for constructing a temple after unearthing a Madhava Vishnu idol during house construction.

The Handloom Society of Badabag village was felicitated for sustaining weaving traditions across generations, and Kundan Kumar Paswan, associated with the Snake Helpline, was recognised for his work in rescuing and conserving snakes across Jagatsinghpur district.

Adding a youth dimension to the event, prizes were awarded to students in drawing and general knowledge competitions. The awardees included Lipsa Das, Somjit Swain, Priya Sharma, Subhangi Das and Sampurna Mohanty (drawing), and Soham Tripathy, Pratya Gaurav Nayak, Bismayaya Swaran Kandi, Smruti Abhilipsa Sahu and Dayama Prasad Das (general knowledge).

Earlier in the programme, the annual magazine Aitihya Banikshetra was unveiled by a group of eminent personalities, including Basanta Manjari Das, Dipak Samantarai, Ambika Patnaik, Ranjan Kumar Panda and Bhagaban Das. The event was coordinated by JHW convener Srikant Kumar Singh, founder member Biswaranjan Dehury and a team of young volunteers.